This invention generally relates to the problem of energy induced into implanted leads during medical diagnostic procedures such as magnetic resonant imaging (MRI). Specifically, the RF pulsed field of MRI equipment can couple to an implanted lead in such a way that electromagnetic forces (EMFs) are induced in the lead. The amount of energy that is induced is related to a number of complex factors, but in general is dependent upon the local electric field that is tangent to lead and the integral of the electric field strength along the lead. In certain situations, these EMFs can cause currents to flow into distal electrodes or in the electrode interface with body tissue. It has been documented that when this current becomes excessive, overheating of said electrode or overheating of the associated interface with body tissue can occur. There have been cases of damage to such body tissue which has resulted in loss of capture of cardiac pacemaking pulses, tissue damage severe enough to result in brain damage or multiple amputations, and the like.
Implantable lead systems are generally associated with active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) such as cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, neurostimulators and the like. Implantable leads can also be associated with external devices such as external pacemakers, externally worn neurostimulators (such as pain control spinal cord stimulators) and the like.
Compatibility of cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and other types of active implantable medical devices with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other types of hospital diagnostic equipment has become a major issue. If one goes to the websites of the major cardiac pacemaker manufacturers in the United States, which include St. Jude Medical, Medtronic and Boston Scientific (formerly Guidant), one will see that the use of MRI is generally contra-indicated with pacemakers and implantable defibrillators.
However, an extensive review of the literature indicates that MRI is indeed often used with pacemaker, neurostimulator and other active implantable medical device (AIMD) patients. The safety and feasibility of MRI in patients with cardiac pacemakers is an issue of gaining significance. The effects of MRI on patients' pacemaker systems have only been analyzed retrospectively in some case reports. There are a number of papers that indicate that MRI on new generation pacemakers can be conducted up to 0.5 Tesla (T). MRI is one of medicine's most valuable diagnostic tools. MRI is, of course, extensively used for imaging, but is also used for interventional medicine (surgery). In addition, MRI is used in real time to guide ablation catheters, neurostimulator tips, deep brain probes and the like. An absolute contra-indication for pacemaker patients means that pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) wearers are excluded from MRI. This is particularly true of scans of the thorax and abdominal areas. Because of MRI's incredible value as a diagnostic tool for imaging organs and other body tissues, many physicians simply take the risk and perform MRI on a pacemaker patient. The literature indicates a number of precautions that physicians should take in this case, including limiting the power of the MRI RF pulsed field (Specific Absorption Rate—SAR level), programming the pacemaker to fixed or asynchronous pacing mode, and then careful reprogramming and evaluation of the pacemaker and patient after the procedure is complete. There have been reports of latent problems with cardiac pacemakers or other AIMDs after an MRI procedure sometimes occurring many days later. Moreover, there are a number of recent papers that indicate that the SAR level is not entirely predictive of the heating that would be found in implanted leadwires or devices. For example, for magnetic resonance imaging devices operating at the same magnetic field strength and also at the same SAR level, considerable variations have been found relative to heating of implanted leadwires. It is speculated that SAR level alone is not a good predictor of whether or not an implanted device or its associated leadwire system will overheat.
There are three types of electromagnetic fields produced by MRI equipment. The first type is the main static magnetic field designated B0 which is used to align protons in body tissue. The field strength varies from 0.5 to 3.0 Tesla in most of the currently available MRI units in clinical use. Some of the newer MRI system fields can go as high as 4 to 5 Tesla. Certain research systems are as high as 11.7 Tesla. This is over 100,000 times the magnetic field strength of the earth. A static magnetic field can induce powerful mechanical forces and torque on any magnetic materials implanted within the patient. This would include certain components within the cardiac pacemaker itself and/or lead systems. It is not likely (other than sudden system shut down) that the static MRI magnetic field can induce currents into the pacemaker lead system and hence into the pacemaker itself. It is a basic principle of physics that a magnetic field must either be time-varying as it cuts across the conductor, or the conductor itself must move within the magnetic field for currents to be induced.
The second type of field produced by magnetic resonance imaging is the pulsed RF field, designated B1, which is generated by the body coil or head coil. This is used to change the energy state of the protons and elicit MRI signals from tissue. The RF field is homogeneous in the central region and has two main components: (1) the magnetic field is circularly polarized in the actual plane; and (2) the electric field is related to the magnetic field by Maxwell's equations. In general, the RF field is switched on and off during scanning protocols and usually has a frequency of 21 MHz to 64 MHz to 128 MHz depending upon the static magnetic field strength. The frequency of the RF pulse varies by the Lamor equation with the field strength of the main static field where: RF PULSED FREQUENCY in MHz=(42.56) (STATIC FIELD STRENGTH IN TESLA).
The third type of MRI electromagnetic field is the time-varying magnetic gradient fields designated Gx, GY, Gz which are used for spatial localization. These change their strength along different orientations and operating frequencies on the order of 1 to 2 kHz. The vectors of the magnetic field gradients in the x, y and z directions are produced by three sets of orthogonally positioned coils and are switched on only during the scanning protocols.
At very low frequency (VLF), voltages are induced at the input to the cardiac pacemaker as currents circulate throughout the patient's body and create voltage drops. Because of the vector displacement between the pacemaker housing and, for example, the Tip electrode, voltage drop across the resistance of body tissues may be sensed due to Ohm's Law and the circulating current of the RF signal. At higher frequencies, the implanted lead systems actually act as antennas where voltages (EMFs) are induced along their length. These antennas are not very efficient due to the damping effects of body tissue; however, this can often be offset by extremely high power fields (such as MRI pulsed fields) and/or body resonances. At very high frequencies (such as cellular telephone frequencies), EMI signals are induced only into the first area of the lead system (for example, at the header block of a cardiac pacemaker). This has to do with the wavelength of the signals involved and where they couple efficiently into the system.
MRI gradient field coupling into an implanted lead system is based on loop areas and orientation. For example, in a cardiac pacemaker unipolar lead, there is a loop formed by the lead as it comes from the cardiac pacemaker housing to its distal tip, for example, located in the right ventricle. The return path is through body fluid and tissue generally from the Tip electrode in the right ventricle back up to the pacemaker case or housing. This forms an enclosed area which can be measured from patient X-rays in square centimeters. The average loop area is 200 to 225 square centimeters. This is an average and is subject to great statistical variation. For example, in a large adult patient with an abdominal implant, the implanted loop area is much larger (approximately 377 square centimeters). Relating now to the specific case of MRI, the magnetic gradient fields would be induced through enclosed loop areas. However, the pulsed RF fields, which are generated by the body coil, would be primarily induced into the lead system by antenna action.
At the frequencies of interest in MRI, RF energy can be absorbed and converted to heat. The cause of heating in an MRI environment is twofold: (a) RF field coupling to the lead can occur which induces significant local heating; and (b) currents induced between the distal tip and tissue during MRI RF pulse transmission sequences can cause local ohmic heating in tissue next to the distal Tip electrode of the implanted lead. The power deposited by RF pulses during MRI is complex and is dependent upon the power (Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)) level and duration of the RF pulse, the transmitted frequency, the number of RF pulses applied per unit time, and the type of configuration of the RF transmitter coil used. The amount of heating also depends upon the volume of tissue imaged, the electrical resistivity of tissue and the configuration of the anatomical region imaged. There are also a number of other variables that depend on the placement in the human body of the AIMD and its associated lead(s). For example, it will make a difference how much EMF is induced into a pacemaker lead system as to whether it is a left or right pectoral implant. In addition, the routing of the lead and the lead length are also very critical as to the amount of induced current and heating that would occur. Also, distal Tip electrode design is very important as the distal Tip electrode itself can act as its own antenna wherein eddy currents can create heating. The RF field of an MRI scanner can produce enough energy to induce lead RF voltages and resulting currents sufficient to destroy some of the adjacent myocardial tissue. Tissue ablation has also been observed. The effects of this heating are not readily detectable by monitoring during the MRI scan. Indications that heating has occurred would include an increase in pacing threshold, venous ablation, Larynx or esophageal ablation, myocardial perforation and lead penetration, or even arrhythmias caused by scar tissue. However, these effects are typically determined some time after the scan is completed. Such long term heating effects of MRI have not been well studied yet for all types of AIMD lead geometries. There can also be localized heating problems associated with various types of electrodes in addition to Tip electrodes. This includes Ring electrodes or Pad electrodes. Ring electrodes are commonly used with a wide variety of implanted devices including cardiac pacemakers, neurostimulators and the like. Pad electrodes are very common in neurostimulator applications. For example, spinal cord stimulators or deep brain stimulators can include a plurality of Pad electrodes to make contact with nerve tissue. A good example of this also occurs in a cochlear implant. In a typical cochlear implant there would be sixteen Ring electrodes placed up into the cochlea. Several of these Ring electrodes make contact with auditory nerves.
Although there are a number of studies that have shown that MRI patients with active implantable medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, can be at risk for potential hazardous effects, there are a number of reports in the literature that MRI can be safe for imaging of pacemaker patients when a number of precautions are taken (only when an MRI is thought to be an absolute diagnostic necessity). While these anecdotal reports are of interest, they are certainly not scientifically convincing that all MRI can be safe. For example, just variations in the pacemaker lead length can significantly affect how much heat is generated. A paper entitled, HEATING AROUND INTRAVASCULAR GUIDEWIRES BY RESONATING RF WAVES by Konings, et al., Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Issue 12:79-85 (2000), does an excellent job of explaining how the RF fields from MRI scanners can couple into implanted leads. The paper includes both a theoretical approach and actual temperature measurements. In a worst-case, they measured temperature rises of up to 74 degrees C. after 30 seconds of scanning exposure. The contents of this paper are incorporated herein by reference.
The effect of an MRI system on the function of pacemakers, ICDs, neurostimulators and the like, depends on various factors, including the strength of the static magnetic field, the pulse sequence, the strength of RF field, the anatomic region being imaged, and many other factors. Further complicating this is the fact that each patient's condition and physiology is different and each manufacturer's pacemaker and ICD designs also are designed and behave differently. Most experts still conclude that MRI for the pacemaker patient should not be considered safe.
It is well known that many of the undesirable effects in an implanted lead system from MRI and other medical diagnostic procedures are related to undesirable induced EMFs in the lead system and/or RF currents in its distal Tip (or Ring) electrodes. This can lead to overheating of body tissue at or adjacent to the distal Tip electrode.
Distal Tip electrodes can be unipolar, bipolar and the like. It is very important that excessive current not flow at the interface between the distal Tip electrode and body tissue. In a typical cardiac pacemaker, for example, the distal Tip electrode can be passive or of a screw-in helix type. In any event, it is very important that excessive RF current not flow at this junction between the distal Tip electrode and for example, myocardial or nerve tissue. This is because tissue damage in this area can raise the capture threshold or completely cause loss of capture. For pacemaker dependent patients, this would mean that the pacemaker would no longer be able to pace the heart. This would, of course, be life threatening for a pacemaker dependent patient. For neurostimulator patients, such as deep brain stimulator patients, the ability to have an MRI is equally important.
The most important and most life-threatening item is to be able to control overheating of implanted leads during an MRI procedure. A novel and very effective approach to this is to install parallel resonant inductor and capacitor bandstop filters at or near the distal electrode of implanted leads, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,363,090, and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US 2007/0112398 A1; US 2008/0071313 A1; US 2008/0049376 A1; US 2008/0161886 A1; US 2008/0132987 A1; US 2008/0116997 A1; and US 2009/0163980 A1 the contents all of which are incorporated herein. US 2007/0112398 A1 relates generally to L-C bandstop filter assemblies, particularly of the type used in active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) such as cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, neurostimulators and the like, which raise the impedance of internal electronic or related wiring components of the medical device at selected frequencies in order to reduce or eliminate currents induced from undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,363,090 and US 2007/0112398 A1 disclose resonant L-C bandstop filters to be placed at the distal tip and/or at various locations along the medical device leadwires or circuits. These bandstop filters inhibit or prevent current from circulating at selected frequencies of the medical therapeutic device. For example, for an MRI system operating at 1.5 Tesla, the pulsed RF frequency is 63.8 MHz, as shown by the Lamour Equation. The bandstop filter can be designed to resonate at or near 64 MHz and thus create a high impedance (ideally an open circuit) in the lead system at that selected frequency. For example, the bandstop filter, when placed at the distal tip of a pacemaker leadwire, will significantly reduce RF currents from flowing through the distal tip and into body tissue. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that all of the embodiments described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,363,090 are equally applicable to a wide range of other implantable and external medical devices, including deep brain stimulators, spinal cord stimulators, drug pumps, probes, catheters and the like.
Electrically engineering a capacitor in parallel with an inductor is known as a tank circuit or bandstop filter. It is well known that when a near-ideal bandstop filter is at its resonant frequency, it will present a very high impedance. Since MRI equipment produces very large RF pulsed fields operating at discrete frequencies, this is an ideal situation for a specific resonant bandstop filter. Bandstop filters are more efficient for eliminating one single frequency than broadband filters. Because the bandstop filter is targeted at this one frequency, it can be much smaller and volumetrically efficient.
However, a major challenge when designing a bandstop filter for human implant is that it must be very small in size, biocompatible, and highly reliable. Coaxial geometry is preferred. The reason that a coaxial geometry is preferred is that leads are placed at locations in the human body primarily by one of two main methods. The first is guide wire endocardial lead insertion. For example, in a cardiac pacemaker application, a pectoral pocket is created and then the physician makes a small incision and accesses the cephalic or subclavian vein. The endocardial pacemaker leads are stylus guided/routed down through this venous system through the right atrium, through the tricuspid valve and into, for example, the right ventricle. A second primary method of installing leads (particularly for neurostimulators) in the human body is by tunneling. In tunneling, a surgeon uses special tools to tunnel under the skin and through the muscle, for example, up through the neck to access the Vagus nerve or the deep brain. In both techniques, it is very important that the leads and their associated electrodes at the distal tips be very small.
Accordingly, there is a need for a bandstop filter for medical devices, and particularly human implanted devices and components thereof, which is very small in size, biocompatible, and highly reliable. There is also a need for such a bandstop filter which can be placed coaxially relative to a leadwire or electrode of a lead system. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.